I Will Be
by NephilimEQ
Summary: They'll both be fine, they'll both move on...but will they ever forget? Happy ending, I promise! PLEASE READ & REVIEW! I live for reviews!
1. Smile Like You Mean It

**A.N. - I wrote this entire story in a day and a half...all thirteen thousand words of it! One of my most favorite pieces to write about this couple. As is the challenge to nearly every person who writes this pairing, I finally faced down the BIG ONE... "What if Hermione was the one who saved Snape at the end?" Originally, this story did *_not*_ start out with this plot line...in fact, it wasn't even going _to be_ a Snape/Hermione romance, just a little reminiscing on Snape's character, but the muses struck and I created this! Please review! Love it, hate it, I don't care, just let me know what you think!**

* * *

_Save some face, you know you've only got one  
Change your ways while you're young  
Boy, one day you'll be a man_

**Smile Like You Mean It**

Severus Snape watched in shock as he heard Potter's name being called as being a fourth Tri-Wizard Champion.

He felt his lip begin to curl in loathing, seeing James all over again. Oh, the arrogance of the boy, somehow forcing his way into the spotlight yet again, trying to maintain his idolatrous stature among the wizarding world.

And yet, in the back of his mind, Severus knew that no mere boy could have hoodwinked such a powerful object.

Was it possible that Potter had not entered, but someone else had entered for him?

As the boy walked down between the tables, he could hear the cry of "Cheater!" cry out from several people in the room…but he also saw his face.

He knew that look…he knew that look all too well.

It was a look of absolute terror, of panic at its peak. No…Potter had not put his own name in. In fact, now that Severus thought about it, he had probably not even wanted to enter, probably desperate to stay _away_ from the spotlight.

All the spotlight had brought him after all these years was pain and suffering.

There was no point to want it.

And, surprisingly, Severus felt a pang of sympathy for the boy.

He knew what it was like to suddenly find oneself unwillingly volunteered for an impossible task, one that he knew he was wholly unprepared for. One that could easily end in death and suffering.

Someone had set Potter up. He had several suspicions, each one less likely than the next, but he knew one thing for sure…a Death Eater had found their way into Hogwarts.

It wasn't Karkaroff; he didn't have the guts. He was a right coward.

It was someone else…someone who was much more dangerous and wholly more devoted to the cause of the Dark Lord.

It was obvious that someone wanted to kill Harry. Because, there was almost no doubt in his mind, Potter would not survive on his own.

In fact, he knew that the boy would no doubt turn to his friends for help, and that they would try to help him in any way possible…which meant that Granger would help him in any way possible. She was obviously the brains of the operation, as he had seen when she had stolen Polyjuice ingredients in her second year.

And he had the vague feeling that she had succeeded in her brewing.

He had a faint inclination that the discovery of Crabbe and Goyle in the broom closet, unconscious, late one night on his patrol was no random incident.

He followed the other professors down to where the other champions were waiting, and he carefully observed Potter's actions.

The boy was decidedly uncomfortable in the presence of the other champions. Of course, who wouldn't be? He knew Cedric Diggory was a bit of an idol among the young ladies of Hogwarts, and he had confidence as well as the hard working demeanor of his Hufflepuff house. Viktor Krum was an international Quidditch star before he was even out of school, nothing more needed to be said about him. And then Miss Delacour…well, though she may not be _his_ preferred type, she was obviously more than appealing to every other male in the vicinity of her.

He watched as Dumbledore stepped forward and forcefully asked the boy if he asked someone to put his name in the Goblet, but he merely shook his head.

Severus saw the fear in the boy's eyes and he, once again, felt sympathy for him.

It was a strange feeling, but he knew what it was like to have no true control of one's life; to be subjected to others around you.

There was some discussion as to how to proceed, and then McGonagall stepped forward and said,

"This can't go on, Albus. First the Dark Mark, now this?"

He could hear the trepidation in her tone, and was at first resentful. Where had she been when he'd needed an advocate? Where had she been when he'd been bullied by Potter senior and his Gryffindor group of degenerates?

"What do you suggest Minerva?"

"Put an end to it!" she said vehemently. "Don't let Potter compete!"

In a long-suffering tone, Dumbledore replied with, "You heard Barty. The rules are clear."

At this point, Severus felt the need to say something, but McGonagall interrupted before he could speak, gesticulating wildly with her arms, her Scottish brogue coming out thick in her ire at the situation and at the people that were involved.

"Well the devil with Barty and his rules! And since when did you accommodate them…?"

Seizing his opportunity, Severus spoke up.

"Headmaster, I, too, find it difficult to believe this is mere coincidence…" He paused for a moment, and then continued. "If we are to truly discover the meaning of these events, perhaps we should, for the time being…_let_ them unfold."

He could practically feel the anger in her gaze at him as Minerva looked at him in shock.

"Do nothing? Offer him up as bait? Potter is a boy, not a piece of meat!"

The two of them waited to hear Dumbledore's judgment and he could see Minerva's shock as the Headmaster said…

"I agree…with Severus."

He had to keep his lip from curling in a sneer. He'd hoped that the old man would prove him wrong, but instead he merely solidified the image that he'd had engrained into his mind of the man being a master manipulator, a proficient puppet-master. As usual, he maneuvered people to where he needed them, and now Minerva could see some of the truth that was the _real_ Albus Dumbledore.

Severus wondered what would happen should Potter ever discover that the man that he looked up to and respected was such a manipulator.

Would he feel betrayed? Disappointed? Or would he try to deny it, and insist that his mentor could do no wrong?

Whatever his reaction might be, it didn't matter. The facts were the facts: Dumbledore was a Machiavellian manipulator and could only see his goal of the "greater good", which blinded him to the feelings of the individuals around him.

* * *

**PART 1/5**

**Lyrics by The Killers**


	2. Everyday Superhero

_Every morning I wake up just the same, another victim of ordinary fame  
I don't see myself as invincible, it's not true at all_

_I'm just your average ordinary everyday superhero_  
_Trying to save the world, but never really sure_  
_I'm just your average ordinary everyday superhero_  
_Nothing more than that, that's all I really am_

_Just a day job that's someone's gotta do_  
_It's kinda hard when everyone looks up to you_  
_Try to make it look easy, gonna make it look good_  
_Like anybody would_

_I'm just like everybody else, after all the hype it's hard to tell  
I keep my game face on so well_

_Trying to save the world  
I try to hide my true identity  
But no one knows it's only me_

**Everyday Superhero**

It was now two months later, snow fallen on the grounds at Hogwarts, and he was in his office, grading papers.

Suddenly, the door to his office swung open and then slammed shut, and he was surprised to see Hermione Granger now leaning her back against his door and sinking to the floor to sit on the ground.

He was so surprised, he said absolutely nothing, but listened as she started to mutter under her breath…

"Please be gone, please not have followed me….please, please, please…"

Her eyes had closed in concentration and he wondered for a moment what was going on, and then he realized that she was hiding from someone. But the question remained: why was she hiding in _his _office? Finally, he could take it no longer.

"Miss Granger, will you tell me, by any chance, _what_ you are doing in _my_ office on a Saturday afternoon?"

At hearing his voice, her eyes snapped open in shock and she quickly stood and began to stutter out an apology.

"I-I'm _so_ sorry, sir…I didn't know you were even in here-"

He cut her off. "You didn't know I was in here?" he said, arching a disbelieving eyebrow in her direction, and then he let loose, standing to his full intimidating height as he did so. "You stupid girl, this is _my_ office and you barge in here unannounced during improper hours, and all you can say is 'you didn't know I was in here'?"

Her breath became thready and broken, and that was when he took notice of what she was wearing.

Muggle jeans and boots, along with an open jacket…and a blood-soaked sweater underneath. He noticed that a large amount of blood had soaked through her sweater and that she was most likely breathing rapidly from loss of blood. Too much blood. He then noticed her shaking on her feet, and barely got to her in time before she collapsed. He caught her in his arms, and, without thinking, quickly moved the both of them through the door that led into his private chambers.

_Damnit,_ he thought to himself as he laid her on his sofa. _There goes my quiet morning._

Quickly acting, not thinking about what he was actually doing, he stripped off the girl's coat and then using a silent spell, sliced her sweater off of her.

Ignoring the black satin of her undergarment, he carefully inspected the wounds across her chest and stomach, and he grimaced. He knew this spell.

Acting quickly, he rushed over to his private stores of ready-made potions, and found the potion that was needed to help ease the pain of this particular spell. It was a particularly painful slicing hex that was used in the Dark Arts, and he knew that Karkaroff had been fond of it in the past, but it couldn't have been Karkaroff…Severus had been keeping a close eye on him and the man couldn't have so much as sneezed without him knowing about it…so what had happened here?

He slid his hand under her neck and tilted her head back slightly and then gently poured the potion into her mouth. He rubbed her neck and then saw her instinctively swallowing and he murmured, "Good girl," and then looked once more at the fierce cuts that decorated her front.

They went from her left shoulder down towards her right hip...the person who'd cast this had been left handed and facing her.

And then he knew.

Krum.

That was when he remembered that Viktor Krum had been following the girl to the library, watching her, and he realized that something must have happened between the two of them.

However, he was at a loss as to how an intelligent young woman such as Miss Granger could have let herself be alone with such a young man. Did the girl have no sense? He snorted in his mind as he realized that she most likely actually _believed_ that the Tri-Wizard Tournament was to foster unity among schools, not seeing it for the ego competition that it really was.

However, he'd met the Krum family once and this wasn't their style…but it was Karkaroff's.

There was only one explanation: Karkaroff had Imperiused him.

It was quite possible that he wanted Potter to be off his game, so he went after one of the brat's friends to throw him off and distract him.

In fact, the more and more Severus thought about it, the more and more likely it became. Igor was brash at times, not thinking about possible repercussions, instead too focused on obtaining his own personal vendettas and making things easier for himself, when in truth it made things harder.

Quickly debating in his mind whether or not to tell the Granger girl when she awoke, the decision was taken from him when she suddenly stirred.

"Where…where am I?" she muttered as she slowly sat up on his couch, not yet aware of her state of undress.

Realizing he had no choice, Snape spoke up. "Miss Granger, you are in my private quarters because it seems that you have been attacked. And I have an idea as to who did it, but I would like to have your first-hand account of the incident, if you don't mind."

She faintly nodded, and then winced as she tried to straighten up even further. She looked down at herself to see the cuts…and then he watched in amusement as her face flushed a bright red and she hastily grabbed for the blanket that lay on the back of the sofa, covering up her bare skin. Her gaze was embarrassed and she couldn't seem to meet his eye, but he cleared his throat, catching her attention, and her eyes finally met his.

"Miss Granger?"

She simply nodded her head, her hand still tightly clasping the blanket to her chest.

"Yes, sir. Of course." Situating herself on the sofa, she began to talk. "Viktor said he wanted to meet with me this morning, so I said yes. We were supposed to meet at the library, but he sent me a letter saying that he was detained, and could we meet, instead, near McGonagall's office, as he wanted to talk to her afterwards. I walked to her office and found Viktor, only for him to suddenly attack me without provocation. Then I ran down here…"

Her voice trailed off, and she gave him a look, but then quickly retracted her eyes, as though embarrassed.

The professor's brow furrowed in concentration.

Why had she come down to _his_ office? Feeling disconcerted by the unanswered question, he voiced it.

"Miss Granger, why did you come to _my_ office?"

She looked surprised at his question and he saw her look turn pensive as she thought it over. It was several long seconds before she opened her mouth and started to speak, only to cut herself off, a flush of red across her cheeks.

Finally, she stuttered out, "I-I don't know, sir. I just…did."

He could see as well as hear the blatant lie, and it annoyed him that she would try to do so to him.

"Miss Granger, I am well aware that you are lying to me, now kindly please explain _why_ you are doing so, so that I can give your Head of House a proper explanation for as to why Gryffindor is suddenly one hundred points behind in the House Cup."

She looked up at him in shock, her eyes widening almost comically large, and her mouth dropped open.

He merely stared back at her, his arms crossed across his chest, and then he became vaguely aware of the fact that he was not in his black teaching robes, only wearing black trousers and a white oxford, the top two buttons undone, and he felt uncomfortably exposed, but he kept his unruffled appearance and instead lifted an eyebrow once more in her direction, and she finally caved.

"I…I…" She paused, and then once more pulled her gaze away, looking to some point on his rug. Her voice was barely audibly as she said…

"Because I feel safe here."

He was all at once grateful that she could not see his face, as he felt himself shocked by her words, unsure of how to respond.

He would have known if she was lying in an instant, but he could hear the naked honesty in her voice, the slight downward tone that indicated a thought remembered and not one that was created to appease. She truly meant it.

He had to know.

"Why?"

Hermione's gaze did not meet his, but he saw her head move slightly in his direction just before she said, "Because…because I always have. I honestly don't know why. It could be several reasons." She began to run on. "I've always enjoyed the challenge of Potions, and you're the one teacher that's always pushed me to analyze things from my own perspective and not just by what the book says. I try my hardest in your class, and always look forward to asking you about how I could do better…"

Her voice faded slightly, her energy winding down, and then he saw her wince again and he knew that it was time for him to give her another dose.

"_Accio_ Pain Potion," he softly intoned, wandlessly summoning the small vial from his private Potions storage.

He stepped towards her and knelt on the floor next to the sofa, and then handed her the vial, which she took with a shaky hand, her fingers barely brushing against his.

Without even a moment's hesitation, she drank it, and he felt something strange. She had just showed absolute trust in him by taking that potion without asking any questions. She had just shown him how much she trusted him…and it frightened him.

The only other people who had ever trusted him for the past eighteen years had been Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort.

And now her…

It was a strange feeling, one that he wasn't accustomed to, and didn't care to become accustomed to.

He quickly brushed it off, and instead firmly grabbed her chin between his fingers and turned her eyes to lock onto his, focusing her.

"Miss Granger, you still have some wounds to attend to and it would be best if I attended to them while you were under the effects of the pain potion. So, if you could please remove the blanket, I can take care of your injuries…"

He saw the slight fear in her eyes, but then she nodded and he let her go and watched with clinical detachment as she leaned back and slid the blanket from her body.

Carefully, he touched the tip of his right forefinger at the top of one her cuts closest to her left collarbone.

She unconsciously took a deep breath and his eyes were momentarily distracted by the rise of her chest, but he quickly averted them, putting himself to the task at hand. Silently, he summoned a topical solution from his cabinet, his own recipe for this particular slicing hex.

Carefully, he smoothed the salve over the cut that he had previously touched, watching as the skin carefully began to knit together.

She would not, however, escape unscathed. The scars would remain, though faint, for the rest of her life.

As he moved down her chest, applying it as he went, he couldn't help but realize that some of the cuts he couldn't get to because of her…undergarment.

Clearing his throat, he pulled back and asked her as politely as he could… "Miss Granger, you are further injured than I expected, and your…undergarment," he said, cringing as he said the word, "Is hindering access to those injuries."

It took her a moment, but she then said, "Oh!" with a small embarrassed look on her face, but then, with a trust he'd never seen anyone place in him, let alone a young woman, she sat up slightly, worked one hand behind her back, her other arm in front of her, covering her chest, and then he saw the material slide out from underneath it, her face flushing an even deeper crimson as she pulled the strap off the arm protecting her modesty and placed the garment on the floor.

His eyes flickered to the black satin on the floor, his mind briefly noting that that would most definitely be the only time a woman's undergarments lay on the floor in his private quarters.

Severus gave her a look, and then looked to her arm, and he felt his cheeks warm slightly even as he said between gritted teeth,

"Miss Granger, I need access to your wounds in order to treat them. I assure you, you have nothing that I haven't seen before, and I will not infringe upon your modesty any longer than I have to, is that understood?"

Her cheeks reddened even further and she nodded.

Slowly, she dropped her arm and lay back on the couch, and he quickly applied the topical ointment, the entire time his photographic memory taking in every inch of bare skin in front of him, his body betraying him even as he tried to stay clinically detached from the young woman bared in front of him.

Severus shifted slightly on his knees, hoping his bodily reaction would go away on its own, but it doggedly persisted.

Soon enough, he was finished, and as soon as he was, he quickly turned around and stood, vaguely wishing for the sweep of his cloak behind him, achingly aware that his metaphorical armor was absent.

He heard her shift behind him, leaning down and then sitting back up.

Though he couldn't see it, he could imagine it all too vividly in his mind the image of her sliding the silky material back on over her skin.

_No!_ he thought to himself. _She's a student, you are her teacher, she is a Gryffindor, a know-it-all and she is Potter's friend…everything that you hate…_ But then his heart quickly corrected the logic that his mind had given him and said, _A Gryffindor? A know-it-all? Potter's friend? Not _everything _you hate…_

He ignored the thought and waited for her to get decent.

After at least a minute of waiting, he heard her stand and say…

"Professor?"

He still didn't trust himself to turn, but finally did and was surprised to see her left hand lifted as though to touch him on the shoulder. She pulled back her hand slightly when he turned to face her, and then instead used it to pull a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes uncertain.

She had put her sweater back on, obviously having cast a cleansing charm on it as it no longer had any bloodstains on it. Her jacket was flung over her right arm, and as he looked at her sweater once more, telling himself he was just checking to see if she had missed any spots with her charm, he couldn't help but remember what she wore underneath the gray wool. And what the black satin covered.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he motioned her to the door that led back to his office and she followed his lead and walked in front of him through the door.

Back in his office, it seemed as though everything that had happened hadn't actually happened.

"Good day, Miss Granger," he said, dismissing her, and he turned back to his desk, preparing to sit back down and grade papers, but stopped when he heard her break the silence.

"Professor…" He turned his head slightly, catching her profile in the periphery of his vision. "Thank you. Thank you, very much."

Her voice was low, but it was unshaken and firm and he could tell that her words were just as honest as they had been earlier when they had been in his quarters. Again, it was disorienting to hear such honesty from someone, especially from someone who, by all accounts, should loathe him, but didn't.

He saw her about to open the door to leave, but he stopped her.

"Miss Granger…" She turned her head slightly. "Should Viktor Krum, or anyone for that matter, ever attempt to meet you privately during the school year, for _anything_, mind you…tell me, first."

He then watched in surprise as a faint smile crossed the corner of her mouth.

"Of course, Professor."

And with that, she left the office, her footsteps echoing down the hallway, leading back up to her dormitories. He stood and stared at his door for minutes afterward, still feeling as though the events of that morning weren't quite real…that it had all been a dream.

Finally, he sat back down at his desk and continued to grade.

This was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

**PART 2/5**

**Lyrics by Smashmouth**


	3. Falling For You

_Said there'd be no going back  
Promised myself I'd never be that sad  
Maybe that's why you've come along  
To show me, it's not always bad_

_Cause I can feel it, baby_  
_I feel like I'm falling for you_  
_But I'm scared to, let go_  
_I'm scared cause my heart has been hurt so_

_It's true I've become a skeptic, how many couples really love_  
_Just wish I had a crystal ball, to show me, if it's worth it all_

_Cause I can feel it, baby, I feel like I'm falling for you_  
_But I'm scared to, let go, I'm scared cause my heart has been hurt so_  
_Yeah I can feel it, baby_  
_I feel like I'm falling for you_  
_But I'm scared to, let go_  
_I'm scared cause my heart has been hurt so_

_And I've got to be sure, cause it's been so long_  
_And I cannot take the pain again_  
_If it all goes wrong_

**Falling For You**

Several weeks later, it was time for the Yule Ball, and he was resenting the fact that Albus had somehow coerced him into attending.

He stood there, waiting for the champions to arrive, and then he felt his anger rise when he saw Miss Granger walk in on the arm of the man who had attacked her. There was no fear in her body language, no reserve in the way that she held his arm, no sign of unease when the Bulgarian touched her waist in an all-too-familiar way.

Watching the two of them carefully, he waited until she was outside getting some air, and then he approached her.

"Miss Granger…"

He was pleased to see her jump in surprise and whirl around to face him.

"Professor Snape? I'm sorry, am I not supposed to be here? I'll leave, I'm so sorry…"

She made as if to leave, and he surprised himself by placing his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from going any further, and he looked her in the eye, carefully delving beneath the surface of her thoughts to see her memory of her encounter with Krum…and found, instead of the memory, a faint trail of smoky and blurred images. She'd been Obliviated. If she'd been Obliviated, then her memories following the incident that had been erased would be muddled, and most likely not remembered very clearly, if at all. It was common with people who weren't experienced in using memory charms.

He broke the connection and saw her looking at him in confusion. Of course, he hadn't said a word.

Quickly thinking, he asked her, "Miss Granger, do you remember coming to my office several weekends ago?"

She turned her head slightly, as though trying to remember, and then vaguely nodded.

"Yes…"

He gave her a scrutinizing glare, his hand still on her shoulder. "Do you remember _why_ you came to my office?"

Her gaze turning thoughtful, he watched as she wracked her brain, trying to remember exactly why she had gone to her Potions professor's office, and he saw her look turn to one of confusion, which he knew was from the incongruity of memories.

"Yes, but…it doesn't make any sense, Professor, because I wouldn't-"

He cut her off.

"Humor me, Miss Granger."

She slowly nodded. "Of course, Professor." She absently began to wring her hands as she verbally recalled what had happened. "I remember arriving in your office, thinking no one was there, and then you, uhm, yelled…" She gave him a sheepish look. "…And then I remember waking up on a sofa in, uhm, your personal quarters. I was...injured? At least, I think I was, but that doesn't make any sense! Professor, I think something's wrong because I can't even remember how I got down to the dungeons, I can't remember-"

He cut her off again, his hand lifting from her shoulder and pressing a finger to her lips as he put one against his own, indicating for her to be quiet.

"Miss Granger," he said quietly, making sure he had her attention, "I am afraid that you have been Obliviated."

She looked at him in shock, not quite believing what he was saying, but her astute mind quickly put the pieces together and quickly realized that he was right.

There was silence, and then she asked,

"Are you going to tell me who did it and what they erased? Sir?"

He looked at her carefully, trying to figure out whether or not he should tell her, knowing that tipping her off about what was going on might ruin their chances of finding out about what was going on with Potter, but then she surprised him by suddenly saying,

"Actually, sir…I'd rather you not tell me, if that's alright."

He looked at her in shock, but then she quickly explained.

"I've…I've had some feelings recently that what's been happening with Harry is…well, that it's more than it seems, and that someone is trying to get to him, and that whatever has been erased from my mind could have been someone trying to use me to get to him, to distract him from the tournament. And if that's the case, then I don't want to know what happened."

At that moment, for the first time in his life, he found himself truly impressed with the young woman before him.

He had only ever seen her as an irrepressible know-it-all, who regurgitated facts from books with no thoughts of her own, and he'd tried to push her by being as brutally critical of her work as he would an apprentice's work…but this…this was truly brilliant.

Hermione, (yes, he was willing to refer to her by her first name now) was truly the bearer of a genius mind, and more observant than he gave her credit for.

Finally, he said,

"If that is your wish, Miss Granger. I shall respect it…and I can say," he added cautiously, knowing that he would have to hide this memory from Dumbledore, "That you're much more astute than you are given credit for. Have a good evening, Miss Granger…"

He turned away, his cloak sweeping out behind him, but then he partially turned to look at her once more, standing in the snow in her blue dress, white flakes collecting on her smoothed out curls and eyelashes.

"…and, some advice…tell Mr. Krum to keep his hands to himself."

With those parting words and an enigmatic smirk that was more smile than smirk, he turned once more, he cloak sweeping out behind him yet again, leaving her standing in the snow.

Hermione stared after him, faintly realizing that the whole encounter had felt increasingly surreal. First, with his hand touching her shoulder, then his finger on her lips, and then a compliment! And then, most unexpected thing had happened…he had smiled. At her. He had smiled!

And it wasn't an entirely unpleasant one at that.

Having no desire to go back inside, she lifted her right hand in front of her to rub the left side of her neck…and she was surprised to feel a slightly rough patch.

She looked down at her chest and saw very faint white lines across her skin, leading in a diagonal line under her dress.

How…how had she not seen these before? How long had she had them?

Not realizing it, she was now sitting on the snow covered ground in her dress, the cold wetness soaking through the material, but she was so distracted by her thoughts, she didn't even notice it as it ruined the beautiful pale blue satin.

She absently rubbed her fingers across the roughened skin and then a small smile stole across her lips…

"_Because I feel safe here…"_

_A confused look crossed his face, his eyes softened as did his tone, the tension left his shoulders and he said one word…_

"_Why?"_

She continued to smile and then whispered to the empty air that lingered behind him…

"Because I know you'll protect me…no matter what."

Of course he couldn't hear her words, but she could imagine that the faint wind carried them to him inside, and she continued to sit there in the snow as her memory of their encounter came flooding back to her in one continuous rush.

As she remembered being bare in front of him, she expected to feel embarrassed, but instead felt a rush of heat between her thighs, and felt confused…but at the same time, she felt as though it had been a long time coming for her. A very long time coming. And she was able to put some pieces of the puzzle together. The reason why she'd said yes to Viktor Krum, the reason why she'd always defended Professor Snape to the boys.

There was a distinct similarity between the Professor and the Bulgarian Seeker; tall, anti-social, larger than average nose, low voices…though the Professor's was one that couldn't be matched.

She looked towards the Great Hall and lightly laughed at her predicament.

_Oh, well_, she thought to herself. _It won't happen now…but at least it could in the future. After everything is over._

With that thought, she stood up and walked back towards the castle, wandlessly drying her dress, vaguely realizing that the material was still probably ruined. But she honestly didn't care, and suddenly wanted nothing more than the evening to be over.

As she walked back inside, she cast a glance towards the front of the Great Hall and saw the familiar dark figure talking to Professor McGonagall…and she smiled.

After everything was over.

* * *

**PART 3/5**

**Lyrics by Jem**


	4. Never Gonna Be Alone

_Time is going by so much faster than I  
A__nd I'm starting to regret not spending all of it here with you  
__Now I'm wondering why I've kept this bottled inside  
__So I'm starting to regret not selling all of it to you  
__So, If I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know_

_You're never gonna be alone from this moment on  
__If you ever feel like letting go, I won't let you fall  
__You're never gonna be alone, I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone  
__And now, as long as I can, I'm holding on with both hands_

_'Cause forever I believe  
__That there's nothing I could need but you  
__So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know  
__Oh, you've gotta live every single day  
__Like it's the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?  
__  
Don't let it slip away, could be our only one  
__You know it's only just begun, every single day  
__May be our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?  
__Tomorrow never comes_

**Never Gonna Be Alone**

Making sure both Ron and Harry were distracted, she raced back to the shack, determined to make sure that even in death, Severus Snape was comfortable. He didn't deserve to die in such an undignified manner, especially after everything that he'd done for them.

She wasn't an idiot; she had immediately recognized what he'd given Harry. Memories.

Following Harry from a discreet distance, she'd slipped into Dumbledore's office, though it was technically Snape's office, and made her way to the Pensieve and taken a look herself.

Now, knowing everything that she did, she also vaguely realized that he most likely knew that Voldemort would kill him, and would most likely have had a potion on him…_in fact_, she thought to herself, speeding up her pace, _he probably has an anti-venin but can't reach it because of the paralyzing effects of the venom…_

She was in the room before she realized it, and she raced to his side, kneeling and gently placing her hand on his neck, feeling for a pulse.

At first, she felt nothing, and her heart dropped…but then, very faintly, she felt a slow throb in his untouched jugular where the snake hadn't bitten him.

Quickly, she slid her hands into his cloak, and whispered, "_Accio_ anti-venin…" but nothing happened, and then she realized that that was stupid, as he would have been able to get to it if you could summon it wandlessly.

Damning propriety, she slid her hands down to the pockets in the front of his trousers and then felt her fingernails clink against something small and glass.

Yes!

Wanting to cry in relief, she tugged it free from the unforgiving material and pulled the stopper, taking a quick whiff.

Yes, it was _definitely_ anti-venin. She had brewed once or twice before on her own as practice with more rare ingredients, and she would recognize that scent anywhere. Quickly, she placed her left hand beneath his neck and poured the pale blue-green liquid into his mouth. Putting down the vial, she gently massaged his throat, hoping that the bodily instinct to swallow would kick in, and she felt all of the tension leave her body the instant she saw the muscles in his neck contract.

Hermione, not wanting to take any more chances, checked his cloak for anything else…and then she saw a tiny scroll sewn into the lining near his wrist.

Unrolling it, she recognized his spidery, yet elegant scrawl across the parchment…

_Spinner's End._

Her brow furrowed in concentration. Spinner's End. Why did that name seem familiar? Why did it seem to spark a feeling of sadness in her…? And then she remembered. She'd seen it in the Pensieve…it was his home.

Immediately knowing what to do, she grasped him tightly and focused on the words in her mind and Apparated.

When she opened them, she found them inside a small house, the walls lined with bookshelves.

They were relatively close to a couch, so she gently shifted herself against the couch, pulling him against her, not wanting to risk using any more magic on him. She was not a Mediwitch, and did not want to take any more chances than she already had with Apparating.

Carefully positioning his shoulders so that they leaned against her right thigh, she lifted her left leg slightly so that she could rest his head against her left thigh.

She saw the blood on his neck and quickly tore off part of her sweater using her wand and pressed the material to his neck, trying to stave off the blood flow. The anti-venin wouldn't do any good if he bled to death from her own ineptness.

Deciding one more thing couldn't hurt, she wordlessly _Summoned_ her beaded bag to her side and pulled out some dittany.

Pulling the torn piece of sweater away from his neck for a brief moment, she soaked the material with the healing potion and then pressed it back against his neck.

Slowly, she saw it working, as the edges of the cut slowly knitted themselves together.

At that point, Hermione became aware of a hot liquid warmth on her cheeks, and she then realized that she had been crying. For how long, she didn't know, but she knew that it was a mixture of fear, exhaustion, and relief.

She leaned her head against the edge of the couch and let her eyes close for a brief moment…

…and the next thing she knew, she woke up to cursing.

"Oh, fuck! Where the fuck am I?"

She looked down and realized that Severus Snape was indeed alive and well…and, well, cursing. Immediately springing into action, she placed her right arm over his shoulders, preventing him from trying to move from his position.

"Professor! You're at your home. You're at Spinner's End, but you can't move just yet, please!" she pleaded, attempting to keep him from trying to bolt from her lap, but it was proving to be very difficult as he was much larger than her. Finally, she said, "Please, Severus! Please, I don't want you to risk getting any more injured than you already are!"

At hearing his first name, he stopped struggling and looked to see who his captor was…and Hermione watched in amazement as his eyes softened when they met hers.

"Miss Granger…Hermione…you're here…"

She nodded, feeling tears falling from her eyes once more. "Yes, Professor, it's me…"

His left hand reached up towards her face, his fingers running across the previously dried tears on her cheeks and gently drying the ones recently fallen. She could see his arm shaking from the effort, and she gently brought her hand to his wrist to support him, and he said,

"Severus…call me Severus."

She nodded.

"Alright…Severus it is then."

He continued to stare at her, as though not quite believing what he was seeing, and he gave her a faint smile, and she could tell that it was strained.

And then, in a shaky voice that was weak with fatigue, he said…

"I knew…you were a smart girl…"

She shook her head, disagreeing with him, a rueful smile on her face. "No, I'm not…if I were smarter, I'd have never left your side and you wouldn't have lost so much blood and you would be perfectly healed already. I'm an idiot, Professor-"

"Severus," he corrected.

"Severus, that's right. I forgot." She ran her left hand through his hair, gently using her fingers to comb out the snarls and tangles, ignoring the fact that blood was matted in it near his neck, not caring that it got onto her hand and stained her skin and clothes. Her shirt was already ruined, and she honestly didn't care.

He let out a soft sigh as her fingers ran across his scalp, and she gave a faint smile.

He then leaned into her hand and began to speak in broken and stilted sentences, confusing her, and forcing her to pay attention, to try and figure out what he was saying.

"Just like…before…"

She shook her head, confused, but he continued. "You…office…Krum…"

Hermione wracked her brain, trying to put the pieces together, but was still confused. He ranted some more.

"Couch...hundred points…you trusted me…" Slowly, she understood what he was saying, and he continued, slightly more coherent. "You took it off…you trusted me not to, to look…" At this, she began to turn red, realizing just what he was referring to; that day in his quarters when she'd been injured. And then he said something that her stomach fill with butterflies.

"You were…so beautiful…"

And then his hand brushed her face once more, his fingers caressing her lips, and she was suddenly reminded of that one night in the snow nearly four years ago.

She then remembered what she'd thought that night: _After everything is over._

Her heart was suddenly in her throat, but she pushed it back down. No. It was just a passing fancy, it wasn't real. He was delirious with pain and not thinking clearly, and neither was she.

His hand then slowly dropped to his lap, and with that motion he drifted off into unconsciousness once more, but this time, she could tell that it was a healing sleep. His heartbeat, before irregular, was now strong and steady, and the gash on his neck had stopped bleeding.

The moment between them was over, but she knew that she needed to stay, to make sure he was safe.

And then she remembered…the Time Turner.

In the supplies that she'd stolen from Dumbledore's office before the three of them had left on their journey to destroy the Horcruxes, she'd found it among the items that he'd left for her.

She could take care of him and then go back a few hours so that Harry and Ron would never know that she'd been gone… It was perfect.

Her decision made, she looked down at her professor's…no, Severus' face. He looked peaceful as he slept, and she decided that it was safe to go ahead and use a small amount of magic on him, just to move him into a more comfortable position.

She tilted her hips slightly and slid her wand out of her pocket and cast a silent levitation charm, lifting him gently into the air and moving him onto the couch.

Her nose wrinkled up as a fine layer of dust wafted into the air as his body met the cushions.

Quickly, she cast cleansing charms throughout the room, but avoided the bookshelves, knowing that he probably had some books that magic couldn't be used on.

She turned back to him and silently cast a charm that let his cloak unfasten itself and slide to the hook in the corner of the room. She then cast another charm that unbuttoned the top few buttons of his vest top, allowing him some room to move his neck and allowing her easier access to the wound so she could care for it.

Seeing a door on the far side of the room, she cast a silencing spell on her shoes and walked through it to find his kitchen.

It was small, slightly dusty like the previous room, so she quickly cast the same charms she had before and then looked in the fridge for food.

It was empty.

Feeling less than hopeful, she opened up one of the cupboards…and was surprised to see some boxes of soup. Looking at her options, she grabbed a basic broth, knowing it would the easiest on his stomach and hers. After everything that had happened, they both needed the break.

Deciding to do things the normal way, at least the way that she'd grown up with, she pulled out a pot from under the sink and turned on the stove, which was an old gas-burning stove, just like the one that her parents had at their summer home in Ireland…at thinking that, she felt a pang of sadness grip her as she realized that it was now hers and not theirs. They no longer knew that they'd ever even had a daughter, let alone a summer home in the Irish countryside.

Soon enough the water was hot enough for her to pour in the package, and the soup was soon ready.

At that point, she realized that she needed to check on him.

Setting a warming charm over the soup as she took it off the stove, she quickly walked over to the next room and smiled to see that he was still asleep, his breathing deep and even.

Standing in the doorway, Hermione simply stood there and stared, still not quite believing that everything was over.

Voldemort was gone…finally gone. For good. It was a strange feeling, and she felt at loose ends, and that was when she realized something that made her heart plummet…she'd never expected it to actually happen. Her first experiences in the magical world had been fighting for her life, and now she realized that she'd never planned for anything else…

…and, suddenly, she had an insight to what was going to happen with Severus.

Her heart reached out to him as she realized that he'd never expected to live. He'd been prepared to die in this fight…in fact; he'd probably wanted to die.

It had been the only way to escape.

He'd been forced to serve two impossibly demanding masters for so many years, so many wasted years of servitude, with no hope of escape.

At seeing him so calm, so at peace as he slept, Hermione had the very strong impression that she was the only person to have ever seen this side of Severus Snape. The side of him that _wanted_ to live, that wanted a better life than the one that he'd had.

Her sides seemed to be aching and then she realized that she'd been holding her breath.

Slowly, she let it out…and she felt tears suddenly running down her face, as she was hit with overwhelming emotion towards the man on the couch.

She then watched as he stirred and then slowly sat up, so she quickly wiped her tears away, not wanting him to see her like this.

She watched as he moved carefully, as though very aware of his limitations, and then his eyes caught hers, surprise written in them…

"You're still here…"

She shrugged sheepishly, ducking her head slightly and then catching his eye again. "There's soup on the stove," she said, motioning her head towards the kitchen, and he gave her a look, an eyebrow raised, and she smiled again.

"We need to eat," she said simply, and he gave her a conciliatory nod.

She motioned to him and said, "Do you need…?" She left the question open-ended, motioning towards his position on the couch, silently asking with her eyes if he needed help up.

He shook his head to her silent question, and slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, gently dropping his legs over the edge of the couch.

As he stood, she watched from her position in the doorway, her arms crossed over her stomach, watching with careful eyes, just in case he might need help along the way, because she knew that he'd never admit to needing it.

He took a few tentative steps and she watched as he gained more confidence, and then strode across the floor to where she stood, but she stopped him in the doorway as she saw the exposed part of his neck, where she'd put the dittany. With one hand on his shoulder, she gently raised her other hand and pulled back the collar of his shirt to see how much it had healed, not thinking about what she was doing…but then she noticed how close they were to each other and she was suddenly hyper-aware.

Feigning ignorance of the sudden charge in the air, she simply said, "It looks like it's healing…."

However, her voice was barely above a breathy whisper, and she cursed her voice for betraying her, but he said nothing, and simply waited.

Slowly, she released him and he finished walking into the kitchen.

Seeing the soup on the stove, he released the warming charm that she'd put on it, and confidently walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out two bowls, and then reached into a drawer and pulled out two spoons.

She smiled, and then walked in and joined him.

They ate together, neither of them saying a word, but not needing to. Unlike their moment in the doorway, the silence was comfortable.

Over the next few hours, she checked on his one other injury, two cracked ribs, and she brought them both down clean clothes from the room that he'd told her used to be his parents' bedroom. She was now wearing a cream colored summer dress that had faded pink flower pattern on it, and he was wearing jeans and an old dark blue dress shirt, easily the most casual that she'd ever seen him in her entire life…but it suited him.

She had decided to hand wash their clothes, as a cleansing charm never quite did the trick for her, and Severus didn't seem to mind.

As their clothes soaked in hot water in the sink, the two of them talked plans.

Hermione decided to tell Severus what she'd decided to do.

"I…I have a Time Turner, and I plan on using it." She saw his shock, so she quickly explained. "I have to go back to just after I left Harry and Ron so that they don't know that I was ever gone. I _have_ to Severus," she said, reaching forward and placing her hand over his where it rested on the arm of the couch.

They had set up in the living room once more, and he sat on the couch, while she sat in the armchair right next to it.

He looked down at her hand, and then back at her, and she quickly retracted it, but he grasped it before she fully pulled away and placed it back on his hand, and then rotated the hand on the couch so that now her hand was being held between both of his.

"I think…" he started, and she waited for what he would say. "I think," he repeated, "That you're right."

He lifted his eyes to hers and she literally felt her heart stop for a brief second before picking back up once more.

"You're sure?" she asked, her eyes holding the question in them, wondering if he wanted to use the Time Turner for any reason, but he simply nodded.

"Yes…it's best that no one knows where I am. Let them believe that I'm dead and gone, Hermione…it's safer for everyone that way."

She looked at him, confused by what he saying about everyone being safer if he was "dead", and he quickly explained. "Hermione, if I were alive I would be questioned by the Ministry in the murder of Dumbledore, as well as questioned about the fact that I was a spy, and if I truly was a spy, then why did I give the Dark Lord true information? Hermione, I would never be left alone, and the rest of my living life, if not spent in trials, would be spent in Azkaban, or, if by some _miracle_ I was acquitted, I would still be hated and reviled by many, as well being hunted down by the Death Eaters left behind."

At hearing all of that, she understood what he was saying and she gave him a faint smile, though it was tinged with sadness.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

He held her hand a moment longer than necessary and then let it go, slowly standing…and then she saw him reach for his wand.

"What…what are you doing?" She heard the quiver in her voice and knew that he had as well, and saw him turn an apologetic look towards her.

He let out a deep sigh.

"I…I don't want to do this, but I don't really have a choice. Hermione…please understand, this is for the best." She quickly put the pieces together and quickly stood, drawing her own wand surprisingly fast, pointing it straight at him.

"Don't you dare, Severus Snape! I will _not_ let you ruin what may be the happiest memories of my life!"

At hearing this, she watched as his look turned to one of confusion.

"W-What…? Hap…happiest memories?"

She stared at him from the other end of her wand, a fire of defiance burning bright in her eyes…and something else. There was something else there, but whatever it was, he couldn't quite place it, though it seemed vaguely familiar.

She nodded, her jaw set.

"Yes…the happiest I've had in a very long time. And I'm not going to lose them simply because you want to be forgotten. Goddammit," she said, dropping her wand, looking at him now with sadness. "Someone needs to remember this part of you. The part of you that wants to _live_, that wants to exist! The Severus Snape that no one else has ever known and the part of you that I'm not willing to part with…"

Her voice faded to a whisper and by that point, there were tears running down her face and he found himself at a loss for words, not knowing how to react to her statement.

Slowly, he put his wand back onto the table and slowly approached her, as if she were a frightened animal, and then found himself floundering as she suddenly threw herself into his arms, tears now soaking his shirt.

Awkwardly, he held her, absently patting her back with one hand, but as she wrapped her arms more tightly around his torso, he felt a warmth suffuse his chest and then felt tears running down his face as well, and then he realized what he was feeling. Wanted. This was the first time in his life that anyone had simply just _wanted_ _him_, and she did not expect him to give her anything in return except for the acknowledgement of her feelings.

Slowly, he moved his arms so that hers were now on top of his, and following his instincts, he lifted a hand to move a strand of hair from her face.

"Hermione…" he whispered, and she looked up at him…and he saw his moment.

Acting quickly, not letting the moment pass by, he kissed her.

It was soft at first, their mouths gently brushing against each other, trying to gauge the others reaction to the kiss, and after a moment they sunk into it. His tongue gently brushed against her lips, and she opened up to him and suddenly there was nothing but pure heat and the sensation of falling as his blood pounded in his ears.

At the sensation, he knew what was happening…

…this was why they called it falling in love.

Slowly, they pulled back, both of them equally aware of the fact that she had to go now, otherwise it would be impossible.

Wordlessly, she summoned her clothes and held the pile in her hand and looked up at him, her eyes filled with such an aching sadness, he felt his own heart ache as well. She slipped her wand into her pocket, and pulled out the Time Turner, but just before she started to turn it, on an impulse, he grasped her arm an pulled her to him for one last kiss, and then let her go with three parting words…

"I'll find you…"

Hermione simply nodded, and then disappeared from before his eyes, fading into the past.

"I'll find you," he whispered to the empty air, knowing that it would probably be many years before he took any chances, but he would keep his promise.

* * *

**PART 4/5**

**Lyrics by Nickelback**


	5. Till Kingdom Come

_Still my heart and hold my tongue, I feel my time_  
_My time has come, let me in_  
_Unlock the door, I never felt this way before_

_And the wheel just keeps on turning, the drummer begins to drum_  
_I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come_  
_Hold my head inside your hands, I need someone who understands_  
_I need someone, someone who hears, for you I've waited all these years_

_For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come_  
_Until my day, my day is done_  
_And say you'll come and set me free_  
_Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me_

_In your tears and in your blood, in your fire and in your flood_  
_I hear you laugh, I heard you sing, I wouldn't change a single thing_  
_And the wheels just keep on turning, the drummers begin to drum_  
_I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know what I've become_

_For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come_  
_Until my days, my days are done_  
_And say you'll come and set me free_  
_Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me_

**Till Kingdom Come**

Hermione watched as Ron and Lavender got their two kids onto the train, Iris, age fourteen and Summer, age twelve. Harry and Ginny were further down, talking to Draco and Luna, who were dropping off Lucia, their oldest at fifteen, and the twins, Damon and Deric, both eleven, all three of them blonde haired angels. Lucius stood in the background, saying goodbye to his grandsons as they started their first year at school.

Hermione watched in fondness, having no kids of her own, let alone a significant other.

But she was happy.

She had her job at the Archives, the wizarding equivalent of a national library, and she loved every minute of it.

She watched as Harry handed Albus over to his wife to say goodbye to him before he got onto the train. There were tears, of course, but she completely understood that. It was the first time that Albus was leaving home, and she was a little bit teary over it as well. She loved being his only aunt, and tended to spoil him, but was thrilled that he was going to Hogwarts.

The train whistle went off, and everyone ran to the doors, quickly getting on before it left the station.

Soon enough, the Hogwarts Express had pulled out and she joined Harry and Ron in walking through the barrier back into the London station, which was so much more noisy, but without the sounds of owls in their cages.

Hermione stared as the nearest train started to pull out of the station…and then her eye caught some movement in the peripheral of her vision.

She turned, thinking that it was Harry coming to say goodbye, but then found herself frozen on the spot at what she saw…

A familiar face was walking towards her, an uncharacteristic twinkle in his dark eyes as he approached. There were no dark billowing robes announcing his arrival, and neither was there long, lank, dark hair framing his face…but it was still him.

Her heart suddenly sounded a million times louder with every step he took towards her.

He was…he was…

Suddenly, he was right in front of her, and she stared in awe and amazement at the man before her.

In place of billowing robes, was a very familiar outfit. Worn out jeans, an old blue worn out oxford shirt. Over his right arm was an old, well-worn leather trench coat. But he wore the same dragonhide boots that he'd always worn.

She couldn't breathe. There was no air.

She saw him move his coat to his left arm and then lift his right hand…and then he gently placed it on her neck, his thumb brushing against her jaw.

That touch, light as it was, brought her crashing back down. It was real. It was _really_ real. He was here.

In a strangled sound, caught somewhere between a gasp, a laugh, and tears, her voice finally made a decision for her, and suddenly she was crying, and he lifted his fingers from her neck to her cheek, gently drying the hot, salty wetness from beneath her eyes.

"I told you I'd find you…"

At hearing his voice, she felt her insides melt and somehow finally found strength enough to say…

"I thought I'd never see you again."

He let out a low chuckle that went straight through her and gave her a look that she felt could turn her blood to fire.

"I made a promise…and I _never_ break my promises."

Finally realizing that everything that was happening was real, she slowly lifted her hands to his shoulders, her fingers brushing against the soft short locks at the back of his neck, amazed by the transformation that he'd made.

His hair was short…well, short_er_, and it was a beautiful, soft brown. His skin was no longer sallow, but had a healthy glow to it, as though he'd been someplace with sun.

He was entirely different…but he was still the same.

"You're-you're…you're here! You're real! I-I can't believe you're here! You're alive! Even after all these years..."

He chuckled yet again, causing another thrill to go through her, and then his hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer, and from the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Harry and Ron approaching, and she quickly warned them off with a pointed glare. From where they were, they could not recognize him, but they could still see him.

She could imagine what was going on in both of their heads, the confusion at seeing their friend with a strange man, embracing him.

But she moved them from her mind, instead focusing on the man in front of her, focusing on the feel of his arms around her, grounding her to reality.

In a surge of emotion, she acted on impulse: tightening her arms around his neck, she stepped up to her tiptoes and pulled him down into a kiss…

…and it was just as good as before. Better than, even.

It was a million times better because she knew that he was staying, that he wasn't leaving her side. Tears once more began to fall, but this time they were of pure joy, not a single taste of sadness in them, her heart swollen.

Soon, their tongues were tasting each other avidly and they were both drowning in the sensations.

She felt his arms wrap even more tightly around her waist, holding her up as they kissed and she silently marveled at his strength.

After all these years, though she hated to admit it, she had thought it might have not been real, everything that had happened on the day…but she'd always had a tiny ray of hope in the back of her mind that it _had_ been real, and that he _would_ find her.

And the entire time, she'd never let herself become attached to anyone, in silent hope that one day she'd turn around and he'd be there…

…and, apparently, this was the day.

Slowly, the kiss faded until it was just a pleasant sliding warmth that settled in her stomach and in the center of her chest.

Ignoring the incredulous looks coming from Harry, Ginny, Ron and Lavender, she slowly pulled away from him just far enough so that she could look into his eyes once more and she drank in the delicious sight of him before her.

She was vaguely aware that Draco and Luna were also there, but both of them had the same enigmatic smile on their lips, as though they…as though they knew.

Letting out a small laugh, she hesitatingly broke eye contact, dropping her head to his chest and then murmured into his jacket, "I think we have an audience."

He chuckled as well, and said, "Oh, yes…I've been well aware of that for some time, now." He motioned his head towards where his godson and fair-haired wife were standing and then whispered into her ear, "They know, Hermione…"

At that, her eyes snapped up, anger flashing in them for a brief moment.

"You told them before you saw me? You told-"

He cut her off, placing his fingers on her lips, quieting her.

"No, Hermione…remember, Draco was my godson and Miss Lovegood, well, Mrs. Malfoy, now, has never been an idiot. Off in another world perhaps, but next to you she was my best student." He gave her a look, a familiar eyebrow arched. "Your other friends, however, shall remain in the dark…they don't need to know who I am, and I trust my godson and his wife to not say a word."

She gave him a look, and he returned it.

"Trust me, Hermione. I don't want attention from anyone…except for you," he added, moving his fingers from his lips down to her chin, holding her gaze on his.

She slowly nodded.

"Alright, fair enough." But then her brow furrowed and she asked, "But how am I to introduce you?"

He chuckled and gave her a slightly devious smile.

"As Alexander Hadrian, a professor of psychology at Oxford University." She looked at him in shock and let out another small chuckle and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I wanted to be ready for you, Hermione…and, knowing you, I've bet you been to a lecture or two there."

He arched his eyebrow, giving her a look, and a wry smile appeared on her lips.

"So," she said, drawing out the syllable, placing her hands on his chest. "I'm supposed to have met you there?"

He gave her another look.

"We met seven years ago, while you were attending a lecture that I was giving, and you approached me afterwards and we talked…talking led to dinner and dinner led to something more. We saw each other off and on over the year, until I was unfortunately transferred to the States to visit teach at Harvard, after which I was sent to Berlin. Neither of us could afford to visit on our meager salaries, and I've only just returned…"

She looked at him in awe and then asked,

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Shaking her head, she simply said, "Never mind." and then pulled out of his embrace completely and then, gently grasping his hand in her own, pulled him along behind her as she walked over to where Harry, Ron, and their wives stood.

"Harry…Ron…this is Alexander Hadrian. He's a professor of psychology at Oxford. Alex, these are my friends that I've told you about," she said, motioning to the group before him.

Seeing the whole exchange between the two of them, Harry was the first to step forward, his hand outstretched.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hadrian…"

He shook his head. "Please, that's for my students and my students alone…call me Alex."

Harry just nodded and was surprised at the older man's grip as he shook Harry's hand. Bottle green eyes met black ones, and Harry had a faint feeling of familiarity but brushed it aside, knowing that it was an impossibility, as he'd never set foot on the grounds at Oxford.

They let go, and Harry gave him a nod, and then Ron stepped forward and shook his hand as well, giving the man a calculating look.

"Pleased to meet you, Alex," he said, his voice low and non-threatening.

Hermione, thrilled that things were going well, tucked herself into his side, sliding her right arm around his left, grasping his hand tightly. She saw Ginny and Lavender's eyes drop down to look and then each of them gave her an approving look as they looked the man up and down.

"So," said Lavender, "You know Hermione from Oxford, then? No surprise, there, really, she's always been the intellectual of the group," she finished, a pleasantly teasing tone in her voice.

They all chuckled, and then Ginny asked, "So, how'd you two meet?"

Looking slightly embarrassed, Hermione ducked her head, and then told them what he'd told her to say.

"Well, a few years ago…seven years ago, actually, I went to a series of lectures at Oxford and he was the main speaker. I, well," she said, looking at him with a playful glint in her eye, "I _accosted_ him afterwards with questions, and then he…he asked me to dinner."

At this, she sent him a look, and he saw the question in her eyes…_Ask me to dinner?_

He gave her a look and then finished her story for her.

"That one dinner led to us seeing each other off and on for nearly a year, before I was transferred to the states, Harvard, and we were unable to visit each other. She a librarian, I, a mere professor, we couldn't exactly afford to see each other…" He gave her a longing look, and heard both Ginny and Lavender sigh. "I was transferred to Berlin three years ago…and now I'm back."

He silently gave her a look that said…_Tonight? _She nodded.

Hermione ducked her head in further embarrassment as Harry asked,

"You're back for good then, and don't plan on breaking her heart a second time?"

He glared at the young man, and for some reason Harry felt that he'd been on the receiving end of that look before. Finally, the tension was broken as he took the arm that she'd locked her arm around and placed it around her shoulders, letting her arm drop to wrap around his waist.

He then looked down at her, a loving smile on his lips.

"I'm back for good."

At that, a huge smile broke across her face and more fully embraced him. Draco and Luna were still lingering nearby, and he watched as Luna gently led her husband over to where the rest of the group was standing and then reached out her hand, which he gently shook.

The enigmatic smile still on her lips, she said…

"I'm glad Hermione found someone who understands her and cares for her."

And then, surprising everyone else in the group, save for him and Hermione, Draco came forward and shook his hand as well, the enigmatic smile on his lips turning soft as he met the eyes of his godfather, eyes he never thought that he'd see again.

"Take good care of her," was all he said, before turning and leading his wife out of the station.

Harry glanced back briefly and then looked back to the man he knew as Alexander Hadrian and the girl he knew as his best friend.

"Uhm…I guess we'll be seeing you around then," he said, and then gave his friend a look just before asking, "You'll find your own way home?" Hermione nodded, and the two couples left the station, leaving her alone with him.

Finally, she said…

"Severus…my god, you're really staying!"

He gave her a look and then said, "Haven't you wondered where I've been staying all these years?"

She looked confused, obviously thinking that he'd been staying exactly where he'd told her, London, the States, and Berlin, but then he gave her another look and then pulled her tightly to him just before whispering into her ear, "Hold on," and she felt the faint pressure of Apparition and the next thing she knew they were in Ireland.

She slowly pulled back and looked around, trying to figure out why everything seemed so familiar…and then she realized.

"This…this is…." Hermione whirled, staring at Severus in shock, and he nodded.

Running at him, she leaped into his arms and he just managed to catch her, surprised by the vehemence of her actions. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. After a few moments, she calmed and slowly dropped back down to the ground.

"You…how'd you…?"

He answered her stuttered and implied question.

"Legilimency. I saw it in your mind when you were in the kitchen, before you knew I was awake…and it seemed so peaceful, so far away from everything, but still so close to you, that I couldn't resist. I had to," he finished, brushing his hand against her hair.

Tears were leaking from her eyes once more, so she quickly brushed them off with the back of her hand.

He then said something that had here feeling as though she had stepped into a dream…

"It's ours, if you want it. I understand if certain memories are, uhm, too painful," he said, mindful of what she'd had to do to keep her parents safe, but was surprised when she firmly pressed her lips to his and then pulled back to give him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

"Yes, Severus…I want it."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, his chest against her back, and looked towards the small house just a ways from where they were standing.

"Your job…?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"It was something to do, I didn't do it for the money. Actually, the money from the Ministry that they gave me for my services in the war is enough to have me set for two lifetimes…" she said, and then she turned her head slightly. "Or two people for one lifetime…"

He smiled and gently kissed her lips.

"By the way," she asked, "How'd you know I was a librarian?"

He gave her a look, an eyebrow lifted, as though insulted that she'd asked him such a ridiculous question. "Hermione…how long did I teach you?" She just chuckled and tucked herself closer to his body, relishing the feel of his body warm against her own.

She then said…

"I would have waited another seventeen years, just so you know…I would have waited forever…"

At hearing this, he felt his heart swell with emotion, and he gently tightened his arms around her waist.

"But I'm here now, love…I'm here now…"

She smiled, content.

"Yes…you are."

* * *

**PART 5/5**

**Lyrics by Coldplay**


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